Apologize
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: xOOx AU for end of OO. Mack doesn't survive the final battle. Rose can't cope. Threeshot.
1. Keep Holding On

**Apologize**

_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

From "Keep Holding On," by Avril Lavigne

The others were cheering loudly behind her, but Rose found that she couldn't feel happy until she knew what had happened to Mack. She turned to where she knew he and Flurious had been locked in combat. Rose's brown gaze fell on the lifeless body of her best friend.

"Mack," Rose choked out. The other members of the team turned to look at the red ranger. Rose sprinted to his side and shook him in a futile attempt to force Mack to show some life. _'Oh, Mack,'_ Rose thought, _'Please wake up. Come on. You know you want to…'_

Ronny knelt beside Rose and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "He's gonna be OK. He's a fighter, Rose. He's strong. Mack is going to be just fine. Mr. Hartford and Spencer will fix him." The other boys nodded and then carried Mack to the Overdrive jeep. Rose followed, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground.

Tyzonn drove the jeep home and Rose sat in the back with her lifeless friend. "It's me, Rose…I know you can't hear me, Mack… You better not have damaged yourself beyond repair, Mack Hartford. I need you, Mack. I need you, and I love you…" Rose's eyes began to tear and she didn't bother to hide this – Mack couldn't see her.

When they got back to the manor, Will and Dax carried Mack to the underground base. Ronny put a comforting arm over Rose's shoulders, and the pink ranger leaned against her friend. "It's going to be OK, Rose. He'll be fine and you'll have a miracle that will make Mack human and you'll get married and have kids…"

"Thanks, Ronny," Rose managed tearfully. "I really appreciate you trying to cheer me up. It's nice of you."

"He'll want to see you when he wakes up," the yellow ranger said, leading Rose to the base. "You know he will. Did you ever realize you were his first memory of the team? He loves you, Rose…as much as an android _can_ love."

The female rangers arrived at HQ to see a clearly grieving Andrew hook Mack up to a big scanner. There was silence as Andrew ran tests on the lifeless red ranger. Rose could hardly stand to watch, but she was desperately hoping that Mack would suddenly snap to attention and Rose knew that Mack w_ould _want to see her when he woke. "Tell us Mack's going to be alright."

"There's nothing more I can do," Andrew said quietly. "We've lost him." Rose's heart was in her throat as she looked at this pitiful excuse for Mack. She would never see him again…

"No, Mr. Hartford," Ronny said firmly, "If you built him once then you can build him again." She was determined that Rose live happily ever after with Mack. Rose deserved happiness.

Mr. Hartford voiced Rose's thoughts. "But he wouldn't be Mack. Whatever made him…well, _him_, would be gone. He would never be the same."

The Sentinel Knight appeared then, holding the completed Corona Aurora. "Young warriors, the universe is forever in your debt. But why are you not celebrating this happy occasion?"

Dax spoke up. "We don't feel like celebrating." He moved aside to show the knight what had happened to Mack.

Rose watched the Sentinel Knight move closer to Mack's body. "He fell in service to the Corona Aurora. The crown is powerful enough to take life away, but it is also capable of restoring it."

"We could bring Mack back to life," Tyzonn said hopefully.

"He was never alive," Andrew pointed out, "Mack was an android. He was a machine."

"He fought with heart," the knight said firmly. "And yet you say he has none. Pick the boy up." Andrew and Spencer did as instructed, and the knight placed the crown on top of Mack's curls.

Nothing happened.

Rose fell to the ground and buried her face in her hands, crying her heart out.


	2. Apologize

**Apologize**

_I'd take another chance,  
Take a fall, take a shot for you.  
I need you like a heart needs a beat,  
But it's nothin' new.  
I loved you with a fire red,  
Now it's turnin' blue...  
And you say...  
Sorry, like an angel  
Heaven let me think was you...  
But I'm afraid...  
_

From "Apologize," by One Republic

No one quite knew what to do for Rose. Ronny tried to comfort the pink ranger, but when giving Rose a hug didn't work, she turned to Will. Will scooped Rose up into his arms and brought her upstairs to her room. He laid her gently on her bed and left. He returned a moment later with a blank DVD and a red velvet box.

"Mack gave this to me a few days ago. He told me to give it to you if he didn't make it home. I'm so sorry, Rose." Will was not a sappy, sentimental sort of man, but he knew how badly Rose was hurting. She was like a sister to him, his little sister, and he wished he could do something to help.

"Thanks," she replied hollowly. Rose took the two items from the black ranger and set them on her desk without bothering to look at them more closely. "Can I be alone?"

"Sure. But you should watch the DVD. It's probably really important. I know he never got a chance to tell you…"

"I want to be alone," Rose repeated. She turned over onto her stomach and hid her face in the pillow. Will patted her shoulder awkwardly before leaving the pink ranger's room.

Rose lay on her bed sobbing for what seemed like hours before she got up. She picked up the disc and the box that Will had brought her and stared at them for a moment. Mack had somehow known he wasn't going to come home, and he had left something behind for her…she wasn't sure she could handle this right now with his "death" being so fresh in her mind, but after a few moments her curiosity got the better of her.

The pink ranger picked up her laptop from the desk and opened the CD/DVD drive. She put the disc Mack had left for her into the drive and then closed it. A moment later, the laptop's media player came up. She moved the mouse pad until the arrow was on top of the play button, and with a deep breath, Rose began to watch the DVD.

Mack came onto the screen, sitting on his bed in his room. He looked nervous. "Um, hi, Rose," he said quietly, "I guess if you're watching this, I didn't make it home and Will did what I asked him to. Oh, Rose…"

As she watched, Mack shifted his position a little, his eyes on his red bedspread. "I'm so sorry, Rosie. I know it doesn't do any good _now_, but I am. I wish I was there to celebrate with the rest of you. I guess _you_ don't want to celebrate now, though. Oh, Rosie…I wish I could be there to hug you and tell you how proud I am of you. You're a great ranger, and you're really grown since we met."

Her eyes were brimming with tears again. Rose blinked, and her tears spilled out. She wanted to stop watching this horrible reminder of Mack, but she needed to hear his voice. If she wasn't mistaken, he was going to tell her something she'd always wanted to hear from Mack.

"I know it probably doesn't seem like much, since I can't really feel anything in the first place…but for what it's worth, Rose…I'm in love with you. I think you're beautiful and smart and talented, and I love your smile and how you hate it when I tease you…I love how you ran into my arms that day when I came to see you in England…and I know you feel the same way about me."

Rose reached out and touched the screen, nodding in agreement. "I do. I love you, Mack, android or not."

"Open the box," Mack said in a whisper.

She did as the image had instructed her to and gasped at its contents.

It was an engagement ring.

"If you would have said yes, then keep it," Mack said. "I want you to have it, Rose. Look, I want you to be happy, sweetheart. If and when you meet someone who makes you feel that way, don't be afraid of that. It wouldn't be an insult to my memory or whatever it is that people say. I want you to be happy, and I would always want that for you. If you fall in love, then go for it. Whoever he is will be a lucky man. But for now…I love you, and I'm sorry."

Rose slipped the ring onto her finger. "I love you too, Mack. I just wish it wasn't too late for you to apologize."


	3. Bye Bye

**Apologize**

_I never knew I could hurt like this  
And everyday life goes on like  
"I wish I could talk to you for awhile"  
"I wish I could find a way try not to cry"  
As time goes by  
I'm so glad you reached a better place  
Still I'll give the whole world to see your face  
And I'm right here next to you  
It feels like you gone too soon  
The hardest thing to do is say bye bye_

From "Bye Bye," by Mariah Carey

"Rose, I just talked to Dax. He says he'll meet us there," Ronny Aston told her friend. She looked at Rose sadly, knowing this was always a hard day for the former pink ranger. It was the fifth anniversary of the day the Overdrive rangers had defeated Flurious…at the price of losing Mack. The remaining rangers had made a pact to get together on the anniversary no matter how busy their lives were. It was mostly for Rose's benefit so she wouldn't have to face the memories alone.

"Great," Rose said in her hollow voice that resurfaced every time something reminded her of Mack. She picked up her purse and left her bedroom. "Let's go. I want to get in early." Her eyes were fixed on the hardwood floor of her tiny home as she made her way to the front door. The Astons followed the former pink ranger.

"I wish she could have him back, Will," Ronny murmured.

"I know you do, Ronny. I think we should focus on making sure she's doing alright rather than what we can't change." Will reached for Ronny's hand and held it all the way out to the car. Rose was waiting.

As the Astons and Rose drove towards the restaurant, Ronny turned around in the front seat to talk to Rose. "Hey Rose, Will and I have been talking, and we want you to be Logan's godmother. Please, Rose? It would mean so much."

"Of course." Rose was still using her depressed voice, wishing she could have what Ronny and Will had: a happy marriage and a baby on the way. Ronny was six months pregnant and had recently learned the baby was a boy. She and Will had spent weeks deciding on a name before settling on Logan. Rose was happy for her two friends but she would have given anything to be having a baby of her own with Mack.

Ronny grinned. "Really?" Rose nodded and Ronny looked proud of herself. "So I need your input now. Do you think the nursery should have ducks or elephants?"

"I still don't see what's wrong with sharks," Will said loudly. "Sharks are cool, and very manly."

"Not for a baby. Do you want Logan to grow up to be afraid of them? Babies need to be surrounded by peaceful images, like _ducks and elephants_," Ronny argued. "So, Rose, what do you think?"

"Ducks are a little girly, so you should go for the elephants," Rose said dully. "And anyway, we're here."

The three friends made their way into the restaurant where they were joined by Dax, Tyzonn and Vella. The six old friends greeted each other, paying special attention to Rose, just as they always did. Rose knew that her companions meant well, and she did appreciate it. What bothered her was the fact that everyone was so afraid she would break down.

Dinner was spent catching up with the others' lives. Dax had just started to direct what was sure to be one of next summer's blockbuster hits, and the Mercurian couple was still working their way through med school. Will and Ronny gushed about the new baby, and then five pairs of eyes turned to Rose for her news.

And there was news, but Rose was not sure if tonight would be the right time to share it. "Well?" Ronny demanded impatiently. Rose took a deep breath.

"I met someone."

Ronny and Vella beamed at her. "I want to know everything," Ronny said. "What's his name? How old is he? How did you meet? Is it serious?"

"Breathe, Ronny," Will told his wife.

Ronny ignored her husband. "Rose, I _need _details."

"His name is James," Ronny began, "And he's a new professor at the university. He's a few years older than me, about twenty-six. He's nice, and smart…"

"And I bet he's gorgeous," Ronny said in a teasing tone.

"It's funny, really. He…he looks like Mack. They could be brothers. The first time I saw him I thought I had lost it." Rose picked at her food, waiting for someone to comment.

"Have you gone out with him?" Dax piped up.

Rose held up her left hand, the engagement ring from Mack still on her finger. "No. James thinks I'm engaged. I'm not sure if I want to tell him the truth yet."

"You can't hide behind your ring forever," Vella told Rose gently. Tyzonn nodded in agreement.

"Mack was my best friend, Rose. And since he can't be here with you, he'd want you to do whatever it took for you to be happy again," Will said.

The other four people at the table confirmed the former black ranger's words. Rose looked around at her friends and knew that they were right. "One date couldn't hurt, I guess," she said quietly, "And if I don't like him I'll never have to go out with him again. It's just to get myself back out there."

"That's the spirit. Just get yourself out there again and no one can say you never got over Mack. Will's right. Mack would want you to move on," Ronny told Rose encouragingly. "Who knows, maybe James is just what you need."

0o0o0o0

The Astons dropped Rose off an hour later. She watched them leave, smiling and waving, and when they were out of sight, Rose got into her own car. The former pink ranger never told her friends that she paid a visit to Mack each year on this day. It was for her mental health more than anything.

Mr. Hartford had arranged for Mack to have a proper funeral with a tombstone and all of the other necessities. He had to, he'd said, because the media would pry into things if there wasn't a service. This suited Rose just fine, because it gave her a place to go.

She brought red roses to leave on the grave every time she visited. Tonight was no different. Rose lay the flowers down and stood there silent for a long time. "I would have been proud to be your wife. I know we would have been happy together, Mack. You told me in the video to move on when I was ready, to be happy. I feel like I can try to go on now. I'll always love you, Mack."

Rose took the ring off of her finger and put it next to the flowers.

She got back into her car and headed for the opposite end of town. She rang the bell and was greeted by her colleague James. "Can we talk?"

He nodded. "Come on in."

Rose did as he'd told her to, shooting him a smile and feeling like she could accept Mack's apology.

_A/N: So I'm lazy and just used James Maclurcan's name..._


End file.
